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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · perch · stock · root · row · nail · mark · bay

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. root — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mark — a trace
  18. row — a line
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — the cause
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com